Manager predicts ‘big summer’ with club looking to transfer market to strengthen competition hopes Last summer Newcastle upgraded significantly in three departments, adding Nick Pope in goal, Sven Botman at center half, and Alexander Isak in the final third NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has fired a Champions League spending warning as he predicts yet another “big” summer on Tyneside. The club’s 0-0 draw with Leicester City on Monday ensured the Magpies return to Europe’s top table for the first time in 20 years. While the competition opens a lot of doors financially for Newcastle, who are likely to see revenues soar due to their involvement — they are guaranteed at least six games in the group stage — Howe does not believe transfer spends will mirror the unrealistic expectations of many outsides of the club. When asked if he had a “big” summer ahead, Howe said: “Yes. I think that’s where I’m in a different position to everybody else — my mind immediately now goes to next year. “It’s a great achievement, but we want to compete, we don’t just want to enter the competition, and not do ourselves justice, so a lot of work ahead, and we’ll look forward to that.” Last summer Newcastle upgraded significantly in three departments, adding Nick Pope in goal, Sven Botman at center half, and Alexander Isak in the final third. While many will look to the increased number of fixtures as a need to increase squad depth significantly, Howe does not believe in “quantity over quality” when it comes to transfers. “It won’t be huge numbers. I don’t think it can be. We don’t have the ability to spend the money people will think we have, so we’re going to have to be very smart,” he said. “It’ll be a small group of players, but ones we think can make a difference. Our early look into the transfer market ... there’s a very small pool of players to look at. We have to recruit wisely, as we have done in every transfer window to date. This will be our toughest one. “We’ve got to try to get it right, and that’s going to underpin our success, really. I think we’ve been really good in the three transfer windows so far. “The challenge gets harder and more difficult, because now we’ve become a better team, there’s less players that will make us better so it’s going to be a big window for us.” Howe has revealed details of the conversations he had with returning chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan on the pitch at St. James’ Park in the aftermath of Monday night’s win. The PIF chief was front and center of on-field celebrations, mixing with the families of the playing and coaching staff as fans paid tribute to the players’ efforts this season. Howe said: “It was great to have a little chat. Really there was a lot of reminiscing about what happened when we first came together and the position we were in, and in very quick time we’ve ended up in a different situation, so it was a quick snapshot back to that time. “The faith they placed in me at that moment, I’ll never forget that they trusted me with the club when it was in really difficult times. Hopefully, I’ve justified their decision, so it was a nice moment.” On Al-Rumayyan, Howe added: “I’ve got to say he’s an amazing man to spend time with, and he’s been nothing but supportive and very, very good for me and the squad. He cares deeply about the results, so he’ll be, I’m sure, very proud of the team.”